


Table for Four

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: The Heart of the Matter [6]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 22:27:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Walking through the door tonight, Dave nearly walked back out when he saw them.  It’s a small world had been invented for running into exes in this town.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Table for Four

**Author's Note:**

> This is my 999th Criminal Minds fic. I've been doing this for almost five years and can't even describe what an adventure these characters have been for me. All the people over the years who’ve read, loved the ships, left the comments, given the prompts, and gotten to know me as more than a fic writer I thank you so much.

Walking into Charlie Palmer Steak, Erin could smell the wheeling and dealing from the foyer. The atmosphere was amazing, the food heavenly, but it was probably the second most political place in DC after the Capitol. Still, her man was back and they wanted to have dinner at one of their favorite places. There were surely places more intimate they could’ve gone. 

Jack asked Erin twice if she was alright with the steakhouse. Erin was fine with it. It wouldn’t have mattered to her if they had burgers and shakes at the Georgetown Diner. She just wanted to be with Jack.

“Reservation for two.” Jack said as they walked over to the host podium holding hands. “Please make sure we don’t have one of those tables where we end up elbowing people next to us.”

“I’ll make sure, Mr. Undersecretary.” The hostess smiled and picked up her phone.

There were perks to being someone important in this town. One was getting a reservation in two days at a place where the wait was usually a month and then getting whatever table you wanted. Jack made sure not to abuse his “gift” but some nights it was quite a luxury to have. Erin smiled as she looked at him smiling.

“Do you want to lay money on how many people we have to schmooze and hug before we get to our table?” she asked.

“Mmm, $50 bucks says 5.” He replied.

“You're low balling. It’s a Wednesday night so I say double or nothing on at least nine.”

“You're on, Contessa. I’d like to add that some of those people we have to schmooze with might be your folks.”

“My folks are in New York City.”

“You know what I mean.” Jack leaned close, giving her Eskimo kisses. “My double or nothing is that at least 3 will want to see you.”

“Three of five?” Erin raised her eyebrow. “You're on…prepare to lose.”

“What do I get if I win?”

“$100.”

“Money is nice but…” Jack wrapped his arms around her. 

Erin smiled, her forehead on his chest. Public displays of affection made her nervous but she would be alright if Jack never took his arms from around her. One month had been a long time. She was so glad he was home.

“Hello there.”

Jack and Erin came apart and turned toward the voice. Dave Rossi had just walked into the restaurant. A beautiful woman was on his arm. Jack smiled, extending his hand. Erin put on a smile as well. Why tonight; why did he have to show up tonight? 

And who was this woman he was with? She was young, Erin could tell. She couldn’t have been older than 30 unless she had good surgery or amazing genes. Her outfit looked as if she stepped right out of the pages of 70s _Vogue_. A red Halston pantsuit with a deep v-neck showed off her curves. She paired it with black strappy shoe boots and her long auburn hair was bone straight, parted in the middle.

“It’s good to see you back on American soil, Jack.” Dave smiled as he shook his hand. “I hope all is well.”

“Everything is good. And is the BAU still kicking your ass?”

“One thing I do know is that I'm older than I used to be.”

The two men laughed and so did Dave’s date. Erin barely cracked a smile. She leaned on Jack.

“Forgive me for being rude, this is my friend Shasta. Shasta, I want you to meet Jack Coleman and Erin Strauss. They're old friends of mine and engaged to be married.”

“It’s so nice to meet you.” she smiled and shook their hands. “I just love your jewelry.”

Erin wore onyx tonight; a necklace and large ring. It looked good with her black pencil skirt, purple v-neck blouse, and purple heels. Her hair was down tonight; she wanted to look as free as she felt.

“Thank you.” Erin said. “It’s nice to meet you as well. Is it just Shasta, like Madonna?”

“It’s just Shasta.”

“She's a tattoo artist and graphic novelist based out of San Francisco.” Dave said.

“You know some fascinating people.” Jack said.

“I live in a colorful world. Excuse me, I should check in before they give away our reservation.”

“You should join us tonight.”

“Oh Jack,” Erin put her hand on his arm. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“We surely don’t want to intrude.” Dave said. 

“C'mon Erin, I'm sure it'll be fun.” Jack said. “I’d love to hear more about graphic novels, wouldn’t you?”

No, actually, she wouldn’t. But she also knew that she couldn’t avoid David Rossi for the rest of her life. They wouldn’t be friends; she’d said it and meant it. Their circle was so small though that this thing would happen more than it wouldn’t. At least if they were talking about graphic novels they wouldn’t be talking about anything that made her uncomfortable. Shasta could talk all night if she wanted to.

“I’d love to hear about your wedding.” Shasta said. “Have you two set a date?”

“September 20, 2008.” Jack said. “We’re having it at the Silver Spring Botanical Garden.”

“Oh wow, that sounds so lovely. I love flowers…I have a fair share of them on my body.”

“If having dinner together is alright with Erin then it’s alright with me.” Dave said. “We’re all out to enjoy ourselves tonight. I don’t want to do anything to spoil that.”

“Its fine.” She nodded.

“Great.” Jack smiled. He walked over to the host podium to make it a table for four. 

The couples were led to their seats quickly. Since it was the four of the instead of two, Jack and Erin weren't stopped as much. Two people spoke to Jack and one to Erin. In a twist, five people wanted to schmooze with Dave as he made his way to the table. Jack couldn’t help but laugh.

“What's so funny?” Dave asked as they were seated.

“Jack and I made a bet of how many people would stop us for conversation on the way to the table.” Erin said. “You beat us both.”

“I'm a schmoozer by nature.” Dave replied. “It’s definitely hard to have a meal in this town, in this restaurant, without having your game face on at all times.”

“No game faces tonight.” Shasta said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I want to have dinner with Dave; and these lovely folks of course.”

“We’ll have a bottle of Hanzell Pinot Noir.” Jack said to the host. “Tonight we’ll toast to no game faces.”

“I think that’s a great idea.” Erin nodded.

“We have a 2002 that is quite popular.” The host said. “Shall I bring it to the table, sir?”

“Yes, thank you.” he nodded. “So how many tattoos do you have, Shasta?”

“Jack, I don’t think it’s proper to ask such a thing.”

“It’s alright Erin…I gave up on being proper years ago. It’s 30 and counting. I love art; I especially love it on my body.”

“It’s a beautiful body.” Dave replied.

Erin tried not to roll her eyes. Where the hell was that wine? This was going to be a very long night. She could’ve just said no. What made her not say no? 

Whatever it was bothered Erin more than having to sit through this. She was also concerned about Jack wanting to be so chummy with Dave. He knew now that they had once been lovers. That didn’t mean the two men should stop being friends. Jack was a good friend to the few people he’d opened up to over the years. 

He had a million acquaintances…they all did. Maybe this had nothing to do with her. Erin wouldn’t put herself in the middle of a friendship. That wasn’t fair to anyone involved. She would grin and bear it. That had become a specialty over the years.

***

“Oh that’s delicious.” Shasta smiled as she sampled some of Erin’s lobster Alfredo. “Here try mine; I think you’ll like it.

Erin picked up a piece of crab stuffed steak that Shasta cut for her. She closed her eyes as she chewed the perfectly cooked meat.

“That’s perfect.” She said. “I think I'm going to order that the next time we come here.”

“I'm starting to get jealous we don’t have a Charlie Palmer in San Francisco. It’s a great town with some decent steak houses but I find that other than Vegas and Texas, the East Coast is the place to be when I indulge in my carnivore tendencies.”

“I try not to eat too much red meat.” Erin said. “But yes, I am grateful for this place. Morton’s is lovely as well but there's a special place in my heart for Charlie Palmer.”

“We had our first real date here.” Jack said.

“Really?” Dave sipped his Pinot Noir. It went perfectly with his Porterhouse and baked potato. “I've been meaning to ask how you got a woman like Erin to go out with the likes of you.”

“I'm dashing and charming, that’s how.” Jack grinned. “She found me irresistible.”

“That’s not exactly true.” Erin said.

“What was your first date like?” Shasta asked.

“Jack tried too hard.” Erin laughed when she said it. “It was a nice night but he definitely tried too hard.”

“I did…I can admit it. When you find a woman attractive, you want to impress her. I fell back on all the old tricks I had, for lack of a better term. Erin was beyond those games. Its one of the reasons I fell madly for her.” he took her hand, delicately stroking her knuckles before kissing it.

“Cooking for a woman is quite impressive.” Dave said. “I love restaurants; love the ambience. But cooking a good meal, making a woman feel full and satisfied…there's not much like it.”

“The way to a woman’s heart is her stomach.” Erin said. “Men aren’t the only ones who enjoy food.”

“Good food, good sex, and good conversation.” Shasta said. “If you can't have those then you may as well go home.”

“Do we have good conversation, love?” Jack asked.

“You manage to hold up your end most of the time.” she replied.

“You better learn to cook, Jack.” Dave added more sour cream to his potato. “It might come in handy one of these days.”

“We could take a class together.” Jack looked at Erin.

“Are you saying I can't cook?” she asked.

“I find your Hamburger Helper to be amazing. I truly do.”

Shasta and Erin both laughed. Dave just smiled as he watched the couple. This was the closest he’d gotten to Jack and Erin since finding out they were engaged. Walking through the door tonight, Dave nearly walked back out when he saw them. It’s a small world had been invented for running into exes in this town. 

On nights like this he was grateful that none of his ex-wives lived here. Erin seemed relaxed in Jack’s company. He smelled the discomfort on her when her fiancée first suggested that they all dine together. Dave steeled himself for what could be a long night. But her mood changed with the food and wine. 

He was getting a glimpse of Erin that many people didn’t see. She was animated, engaged, and simply lovely. He’d expected her to give Shasta the cold shoulder all night. Listening to them sit and talk about the significance of body art and female empowerment turned him on. 

Jack seemed to like it as well. Jack seemed to like everything about Erin. Dave knew of so many politicians who had “happy” relationships and mistresses to spare. He just couldn’t tell with Jack about the latter. That would surely take more than a few short encounters. It only took a few minutes to see that he and Erin were smitten with each other.

***

“Dave, I swear if you don’t invite me back for the wedding I'm never speaking to you again.” Shasta said as the couples walked out of the restaurant.

“I guess that means we have to send him an invitation.” Erin said.

“You can just invite Shasta.” Dave said. “Its OK, I won't be at all offended or hurt.”

Jack laughed. He shook Dave’s hand and Shasta’s too. He’d had a good evening. It was great to be back home and amongst good people. The Hague had been fulfilling work wise and definitely had a lovely atmosphere but he missed Erin and was glad they were together again.

“You guys didn’t park with the valet?” Dave asked.

“We actually are in a lot about four blocks away.” Jack replied. “Erin loves to walk and talk after dinner.”

Dave almost said he remembered that but bit his tongue. There was no need to put that kind of damper on a so far lovely evening. He just extended his hand to Erin, wishing her a good night.

“Tonight was great. Maybe we can do it again sometime.” He said.

“I'm going to keep Jack to myself for a little while.” Erin said. “After that he's all yours, Rossi. You can do as men do.”

“I'm not getting myself or him into that kind of trouble.” Dave shook his head and put on a smile. “Goodnight, guys.”

“Goodnight. It was so lovely to meet you Shasta.”

“It was lovely to meet you as well. I look forward to seeing you again. Good luck with the last of your wedding plans.”

“Thank you.”

Jack and Erin walked away holding hands. It was a lovely evening in late April. There hadn't been rain for a few days, which everyone appreciated. The nights were still chilly but spring had come to Washington. Erin deeply inhaled the scent of the air, looking up at the sky. You could never see more than a few stars here and there in DC. Most of the time they turned out to be planes descending into Dulles. 

“Did you have a nice time?” Jack asked.

“I did.” She nodded. “Shasta was quite interesting.”

“I didn’t know you had a thing for body art.”

“I have a thing for anything I can learn something new about. It’s a fascinating subject.”

“Would you ever get a tattoo?” he asked.

“I think I'm a little past my prime on that one.” Erin replied.

“Nonsense love.” Jack put his arm around her, pulled her close, and kissed her temple. “There is no such thing as past your prime when it comes to you. Like a red wine, you only get more potent and enchanting with age. I could get drunk off of you.”

“Sometimes you really know what to say, Mr. Undersecretary.” She looked at him and smiled. Then her face turned solemn again. “You and David are good friends.”

“We were once.” Jack nodded. “I’d like to be again. We’re both busy men so I don’t foresee spending too much time together. I just like to surround myself with people I can have a good time with when I manage to get away from work.”

“Forgive me for asking but you're not trying to get close to him because we dated once are you? Its ancient history Jack and has nothing to do with us. Working with him, initially, was uncomfortable but I'm moving on and so is he.”

“I try to push that you were involved to the back of my head. Dave was a ladies man, so was I. There are probably so many women in this town that we were involved with. As long as he doesn’t have a problem with my current relationship then I do my best not to have a problem with his past one.”

“If I chose to be friendly with him, you wouldn’t have a problem with that.”

“No.” Jack lied, shaking his head. “We’re all adults and should conduct ourselves as such. You love me and jealousy is a petty emotion.”

“I do, and it is. I don’t think David and I are ever going to be friends again. I don’t know if we were friends in the first place. I just want to make sure that I don’t do anything to sabotage a healthy relationship for you.”

“I appreciate your concern, love. Tonight was nice and I’m pleased that you let me invite them to join us. You warmed up well.”

“I'm going to get even warmer when we get back to your place.” Erin said.

“We’re going back to my place?” Jack didn’t know that but he was glad to hear it.

“MK and Ted are with their father since they have a short school break. Eli actually took some time off work and took them to Montreal to relax. It’s just you and me, Jack.”

“Then you must tell me all about getting warmer.”

“Well I'm feeling nice and buzzed now; red wine always does that to me.”

“I know.” He nodded.

“So I thought we’d run a hot bubble bath, light some candles, put Charlie Parker on the record player, and make love.”

“I'm very fond of this idea.” Jack said as they turned the corner to the lot where the car was parked.

“Are you?”

“Mmm hmm. I am so glad that I'm home.”

“You can't go away ever again.” Erin squeezed his hand. “I know it’s silly to hope for but…”

“Just know wherever I am and for however long, I’ll be there loving you.”

“And I’ll be here loving you as well.”

***


End file.
